


An Elf By Any Other Name

by Marta



Category: Lord of the Rings (2001 2002 2003), Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works, The Silmarillion - J. R. R. Tolkien, Unfinished Tales - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Essays, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-19
Updated: 2008-05-19
Packaged: 2017-10-17 03:51:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/172610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marta/pseuds/Marta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>...or, A Short Speculative History of a Certain Elven Emissary. An attempt to construct a history for the emissary sent by Cirdan to the Council of Havens from the hints sprinkled through canon, that also functions as a case history in how to characterize minor characters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Elf By Any Other Name

One of the best things about Tolkien's writing is that, each time you read it, there are new surprises. I remember when I first read about Faramir's wave dream after I had read the Akallabêth, and the greater significance it took on. And sometimes life experience changes our outlook, or our attention is better at a certain part than it was before – so we really think about a certain phrase when we didn't in the past.

Enter Galdor.

Galdor is a minor character in "The Council of Elrond" chapter of  _The Lord of the Rings_. I am not, by nature, a great fan of the elves; I don't have anything against them, but they don't hold my attention like men and dwarves do. So naturally, when I read "The Council of Elrond," I always seem to get caught up in Glóin's account of how the Black Riders were pressuring the people of the Lonely Mountain. Or the power struggles between Boromir and Aragorn. All very interesting stuff, but they wear you out, so that when fascinating folks like Galdor poke up, your eyes skim over. Or at least mine do.

Anyway, when I was reading "The Council of Elrond" recently, I noticed the following passage:

> "I know little of Iarwain save the name," said Galdor; "but Glorfindel, I think, is right. Power to defy our Enemy is not in him, unless such power is in the earth itself. And yet we see that Sauron can torture and destroy the very hills. What power still remains lies with us, here in Imladris, or with Círdan at the Havens, or in Lórien. But have they the strength, have we here the strength to withstand the Enemy, the coming of Sauron at the last, when all else is overthrown?"

I must have read this passage a dozen times, but I never really stopped to consider just why these three realms were listed. As luck would have it, on this read-through I had to set down my book last night shortly after Boromir and Aragorn, and so I approached Gandalf's story about Saruman with fresh eyes. And so I wasn't nearly as burnt out as I might have been when I got to Galdor's comments. 

Two questions struck me. First, why are these three realms, of all the kingdoms that have been talked about at the council, so singled out? And second: who the heck is this Galdor anyway?

That first question turned out to be something of a springboard. I still don't have a very thorough answer (I suspect it has to do that it is those three kingdoms whose owners possessed Elven-rings, at one time), but the second question was surprisingly fascinating. There is so little said about Galdor! But the little hints we are provided make it hard to simply view him as a minor character, a name and little more – there is something lurking beneath the surface here. So before I knew it, I was off and running on a scavenger hunt through Middle-earth, picking up tidbits here and there – all to try to learn a little more about this mysterious elf.

And, being the generous soul I am ;-), I couldn't help wanting to share. Speculating about Galdor's character ended up telling me a lot about how I view canon, especially as it relates to world-building in fanfic. And you know that canon questions, I just can't leave them alone. Or keep them to myself.

I hope you enjoy these ramblings. And that you can apply them to your own minor characters. Because reading Tolkien can really be like peeling an onion. The more layers you peel back, the more fascinating it becomes. 

Oh, and one other thing? If someone out there wants to write me a Galdor story AND GET THIS DURNED ELF OUT OF MY HEAD, I'd really appreciate it. :-D

  


>   
> **  
>  1\. Who's Your Daddy?   
> **   
> 

When I study philosophy, I tend to take a wholistic approach. I don't just read what a philosopher wrote, but try to find out all I can about the times he lived in, both his biography and the history of his culture. Those things affect how we approach problems so much, and so I find I understand what a philosopher is trying to say a lot better once I crawl into his headspace. This isn't to say I don't look at whether the argument is valid, the assumptions it makes, and so on; but I want to understand before I critique. And I tend to take the same approach in fandom. When I started thinking about Galdor, I first wanted to know who he was. Where he was from, what was his family like, and other factors that would have influenced his social situation. 

Tolkien tells us a little about him earlier in "The Council of Elrond," but only a very little. He writes:

> Beside Glorfindel there were several other counselors of Elrond's household, of whom Erestor was the chief; and with him was Galdor, an Elf from the Grey Havens who had come on an errand from Círdan the Shipwright.

For those of you who aren't too keen on Elves, it needs to be said: That epithet "the Shipwright" is misleading. Círdan is a fairly high-ranking elf. Later in this chapter, he's singled out by Elrond as the only other elf present with Gil-galad and Elrond himself, when Isildur decides to take Sauron's Ring for himself. It would take a whole other essay to detail all of his doings recorded in the  _Silmarillion_ and  _Unfinished Tales_. Suffice it to say, Círdan is one of the greatest princes of the Telerin elves.

And the fact that Galdor's lord is called "the Shipwright" is maybe significant here. Galdor isn't given any lineage or epithets at all, and is only described as "Galdor, an Elf from the Grey Havens." This might lead us to assume that there was no special history for him. But we shouldn't be too quick to judge. After all, if Círdan is not "lord" or "prince" but "the Shipwright," why should we expect great declarations about his emissary? 

The fact that Galdor was sent to represent an elf as powerful as Círdan is telling in itself. Remember, this is in a time before telephones, telegraphs, or even frequent postal service between such widely-separated realms. Emissaries like Galdor would be Elrond's only real source of information about the state of affairs in Mithlond. And an elf as powerful as Círdan would certainly choose the best representative he could. The fact that Galdor is sent suggests that Círdan trusted him to represent Mithlond's interests well.

Yet, we aren't told who his father is, and it is tempting to see this as being significant. Is he something of a Cinderella story, an everyman character like Beregond? Not necessarily. In the next passage our narrator says that "There was also a strange Elf clad in green and brown, Legolas, a messenger from his father, Thranduil, the King of the Elves of Northern Mirkwood." Legolas is only a messenger, which seems a less important task than Galdor's – Galdor at least "had come on an errand from Cirdan," which implies a more active job than simply delivering a message. So if Galdor had a high lineage to speak of, shouldn't we hear about it?

I think the answer lies in the fact that Tolkien writes  _The Lord of the Rings_  as a translation. Specifically, as a translation of a historical memoir written for hobbits. We aren't given a transcript of everything that happened at the Council of Elrond; in fact, the narrator says that "not all that was spoken and debated in the Council need now be told." If this is true for substantive (but assumedly not interesting to most hobbits) points that were debated, how much more so for the social niceties observed before the council actually began?

Many hobbits would have been familiar with Thranduil from stories of Bilbo's earlier adventures, and as is well-known, hobbits love family trees. They would have been interested that this new elf was the son of a familiar name. And, as Legolas continues to appear in the story while Galdor doesn't, the way that Legolas fits in with the family tree the hobbits already knew would be important to Gamgees and Boffinses back in the Shire. Galdor's family lineage would have been much less noteworthy, So the fact that it wasn't mentioned by Bilbo or Frodo or Sam doesn't mean that it's not worth mentioning. It just means it wasn't important  _to hobbits_.

>   
> **  
>  2\. Far From Home   
> **   
> 

So, Tolkien never tells us much about Galdor's family history. We could make a case for why this doesn't necessarily mean he wasn't of a noble line. But even if that is the case, it doesn't really tell us anything about Galdor - just that our first impulse that his background wasn't important, might be wrong. What  _can_  be said of him?

The fact that Galdor is in Imladris at all is important. Mithlond is west of the Shire, which means Galdor would have had to travel a little further than Frodo did. True, he may have had a horse and probably wasn't being chased by Black Riders and dealing with Morgul blades, but it still was no afternoon jaunt. To put the distance in perspective, check out this [map of Middle-earth](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Middle-earth.jpg), a redrawing of the map Tolkien published in  _The Lord of the Rings_. It looks like the distance from Mithlond to Imladris is roughly the same distance as from the Gap of Rohan to Barad-dûr. Now think about how long it takes our characters to get first from Isengard to Dunharrow, then from Dunharrow to Minas Tirith, and then from Minas Tirith to the gates of Mordor - and tack on a bit more, because the army from Gondor didn't go all the way to Barad-dûr, but just to the Black Gate.

But Galdor's presence at Imladris isn't noteworthy just because it's a long way from Mithlond. In the month or so before the Council of Elrond, it would have been particularly dangerous to travel between Mithlond and Imladris. The Black Riders were riding around the area, and Círdan would have known this before Galdor left the Havens. After Gildor Inglorion met Frodo in the Shire and feasted with him at the Woody End, he told him,

> Sleep now! In the morning we shall have gone; but we will send our messages through the lands. The Wandering Companies shall know of your journey, and those that have power for good shall be on the watch. ("Three is Company," _The Lord of the Rings_ )

These messages eventually reached Imladris, which is how Elrond knew to send out Glorfindel and others to look for Frodo, even before Gandalf's arrival. And Mithlond is not far from the western boundary of the Shire, much closer than Imladris was; Gildor's messages would almost certainly have reached Círdan, and so Círdan would have known how dangerous it was for anyone to travel in the wilds at that point. He would not have sent just any elf, especially if that elf was to carry out an errand for Círdan important – an errand important enough to warrant travelling all the way to Imladris.

All of this assumes, of course, that Galdor left Mithlond after Gildor met Frodo - long enough afterwards that Círdan would have received Gildor's messages. However, consider the alternative. If Galdor travelled to Imladris on an errand from Círdan, it seems likely that he would have wanted to get to Imladris in a reasonably quick fashion. And he probably hoped to get back to Mithlond before winter made travel difficult or impossible, so that Círdan could know the errand was accomplished. He was not wandering about for pleasure, and probably would have gone as quickly as he could - in other words, by horse. This means that even if he left Mithlond just before Gildor's message reached Círdan, he would have gotten to Imladris a while before Frodo did. And I find it hard to believe that he would have stayed a long time in Imladris without a reason to do so, especially given the time of year.

I am sure one could concoct an explanation for how Galdor left Mithlond before Gildor's messages arrived, but was still present at the council; however, it seems more likely to me that Galdor left Mithlond later, after Gildor's message arrived, and so came to Imladris closer to the council. I cannot say with certainty what Tolkien envisioned, but Elrond's words do make this interpretation more likely. Elrond says, at the beginning of the Council:

> That is the purpose for which you are called hither. Called, I say, though I have not called you to me, strangers from distant lands. You have come and are here met, in this very nick of time, by chance as it may seem. Yet it is not so. ("The Council of Elrond,"  _The Lord of the Rings_ )

True, he is speaking in general terms about everyone present. Still, it seems most likely that Galdor arrived in Imladris just a few days before the Council. Which would have meant that he likely left Mithlond after Círdan received Gildor's messages - which in turn implies that Círdan trusted Galdor could reach Imladris, knowing the Nine were abroad. Círdan wasn't a fool, and he would want his errand to actually be accomplished. Galdor is someone that Círdan had faith in.

>   
> **  
>  3\. Sit Thou on My Right Hand   
> **   
> 

The comments above about when Galdor would have left Mithlond provide some insight about how Círdan would likely have viewed Galdor's character and abilities. A lot of what I have written is still guesswork, but it at least builds on what Tolkien actually wrote - not on what he did not say, and why he might not have said it. It's a step in the right direction, but I still haven't quoted much that Tolkien specifically said about Galdor.

That's because Tolkien says precious little about this elf. He isn't mentioned at all in  _The Hobbit_  or in  _The Lord of the Rings_  outside of "The Council of Elrond," and the only Galdor mentioned in  _The Silmarillion_  is a man, the father of Húrin and Huor. There is an elf-lord of Gondolin by the same name, an issue that I will discuss in the fifth section of this essay, but he is not described in that much more detail than is the Galdor present at the Council of Elrond.

One thing that is known for certain is that he sat near Bilbo and Frodo at the Council of Elrond:

> "Yes, it made quite a long tale," answered Frodo. "But the story still does not seem complete to me. I still want to know a good deal, especially about Gandalf."
> 
> Galdor of the Havens, who sat near by, overheard him. "You speak for me also," he cried, and turning to Elrond he said: "The Wise may have good reason to believe that the halfling's trove is indeed the Great Ring of long debate, unlikely though that may seem to those who know less. But may we not hear the proofs?" ("The Council of Elrond,"  _The Lord of the Rings_ )

So Galdor is sitting near enough to Frodo and Bilbo to overhear a private comment between the two of them. And Frodo is seated in a place of honor. At the beginning of this chapter we are told,

> Elrond drew Frodo to a seat by his side, and presented him to the company, saying: "Here, my friends is the hobbit, Frodo son of Drogo. Few have ever come hither through greater peril or on an errand more urgent." ("The Council of Elrond," _The Lord of the Rings_ )

To us moderns (especially uncouth college students like myself ;-D), where a person sits can seem rather unimportant. But in Tolkien's world, the best seats are reserved for the most important people. At the feast the night before, Frodo is "both surprised and abashed to find that he had a seat at Elrond's table among all these folk so high and fair" ("Many Meetings,"  _The Lord of the Rings_ ); Pippin, Merry, and Sam all sit at one of the side tables close to the dais at that feast, but Frodo is especially honored by being given a seat at the high table.

He is similarly honored at the council, arguably even more so, by being given a seat right next to Elrond. Most of the same lords who were at the feast the night before are also at the council, and there are some additions as well: Aragorn was receiving news from Elladan and Elrohir at the time of the feast, but is present at the council, and Boromir has arrived that morning. 

It is perhaps expected that Frodo and Bilbo should be given such honored chairs at a council to discuss the fate of the Ring. However, if Galdor is just one elf of many, one wonders why he is seated close enough to the hobbits that he can overhear Frodo's private comment to Bilbo. This suggests that he was honored by Elrond in addition to Círdan.

>   
> **  
>  4\. Guessing Círdan's Errand   
> **   
> 

I've talked a good bit in this essay about the fact that Galdor was sent to Imladris on an errand from Círdan. It would be easy to make too much out of this fact, especially since we're told so little about Galdor. However, I suspect that it's significant that Galdor came on an errand rather than just as messenger, because Tolkien mentions this fact just before telling us that Legolas came to Imladris bearing a message. True, delivering a message can be an important errand, but the fact that Tolkien draws a distinction between the two suggests to me that he meant something other than message-delivery when he spoke of Círdan's errand.

So what could this errand be? Again, Tolkien does not give us a definite answer. Círdan was a part of the White Council that had driven Sauron from Dol Guldur at the time of  _The Hobbit,_  but he does not appear to have played much part in the War of the Ring. Doubtless he was readying to defend his kingdom against Sauron; he had fought in the Last Alliance and in the war against Angmar in the Third Age, and these experiences would have helped him recognize the warning signs of war. 

Círdan also had received the palantír of the Tower Hills after the fall of Arnor. This palantír allowed him to communicate with Aman through the palantír of Avallonë. This stone could not see the other six stones of Middle-earth, but it is conceivable that Sauron, being a maia, had found a way to use the Minas Morgul palantír to contact the one from the Tower Hills, and such a contact might have convinced Círdan that it was necessary to do something that could only be done in Rivendell.

However, I find it hard to hypothesize what errand could have been inspired by the knowledge Círdan gained through the palantír. I could perhaps make a guess, but it would only be a creative invention; we simply do not know enough about what he might have saw, to make even an educated guess. And if the errand was not related to the palantír, but was more generally tied to preparations for the war, my guess would be even less canonical because we know even less about those preparations.

I think it most likely that Galdor's errand was related to the Elven Rings crafted by Celebrimbor in the Second Age. Tolkien writes,

> Throughout the Third Age the guardianship of the Three Rings was known only to those who possessed them. But at the end it became known that they had been held at first by the three greatest of the Eldar: Gil-galad, Galadriel and Círdan. Gil-galad before he died gave his ring to Elrond; Círdan later surrendered his to Mithrandir. For Círdan saw further and deeper than any other in Middle-earth, and he welcomed Mithrandir at the Grey Havens, knowing whence he came and whither he would return.
> 
> "Take this ring, Master," he said, "for your labours will be heavy; but it will support you in the weariness that you have taken upon yourself. For this is the Ring of Fire, and with it you may rekindle hearts in a world that grows chill. But as for me, my heart is with the Sea, and I will dwell by the grey shores until the last ship sails. I will await you." ("The Third Age," Appendix B: Tale of Years,  _The Lord of the Rings_ )

It could reasonably be asked why I think that Círdan's errand is related to the rings rather than the palantír or more general preparations for war. I don't deny that it's possible Círdan would have some errand about these things. But I don't like coincidences. All of the news at this point is about the Rings. Gildor's message would have told Círdan that the One Ring was being carried through the Wild to Imladris. 

More to the point, the "Council of Elrond" chapter suggests that the Elves have discussed what to do about the Elven Rings  _before_  the Council of Elrond. After Bilbo and Frodo have told about their dealings with the Ring, and after Gandalf had revealed the treachery of Saruman, Glóin asks whether the lesser rings – specifically the three Elven-rings – could be used against Sauron. The elves reply that they were not made as weapons and so wouldn't be useful in this way, and Glóin follows up by asking what would happen to the three Elven-rings if the One Ring was destroyed. The Elves reply by saying:

> "We know not for certain," answered Elrond sadly. "Some hope that the Three Rings, which Sauron has never touched, would then become free, and their rulers might heal the hurts of the world that he was wrought. But maybe when the One has gone, the Three will fail, and many fair things will fade and be forgotten. That is my belief."
> 
> "Yet all the Elves are willing to endure this chance," said Glorfindel, "if by it the power of Sauron may be broken, and the fear of his dominion be taken away for ever." ("The Council of Elrond,"  _The Lord of the Rings_ )

Elrond's comments imply that at least some of the Elves have discussed this issue before the Council, and that they disagreed in what they think would happen; some hoped the rings would be free, but Elrond suspected they would diminish. Glorfindel seems to suggest that he and Elrond speak for all the Elves. 

This may well be an over-generalization, but it seems unlike Elrond and Glorfindel to make such a broad statement if they have only spoken with elves of their household. Who else is there? Legolas is present, and may have been included at such a council. But Thranduil is not tied into the fate of the Elven-rings the way that Círdan is. It seems likely that Galdor would be included in any such council to discuss the fate of the Elven-rings.

But what about Galadriel? No one from Lothlórien is present to represent her – but I'm not sure they'd need to be. And here my ignorance of Elven-lore shows a bit. I believe that the bearers of the three rings could communicate with one another, though I can't remember where I read this. (If anyone knows the reference, let me know and I'll add it.) In any event, Gandalf can speak to Frodo when he's wearing the One Ring. If my assumption is correct, then Galadriel could give her opinion to Elrond without being physically present. Gandalf is there anyway, so that's not an issue. 

As for Círdan, he isn't a ring-bearer anymore, but he possessed it from when Gil-galad gave it to him in the Second Age until the istari arrive in Middle-earth around 1000 T.A. He doesn't possess a ring anymore, so he can't communicate telepathically; but he would be affected by the rings' destructions, and so it seems likely that Elrond and the others would seek his opinion before choosing to destroy the One Ring. If Círdan thought it was too dangerous for him to travel personally, he would send someone he was sure could make the journey.

And if I am correct and Galdor is to represent Círdan in councils about the Elven-rings, this is a  _really_  important errand. It concerns not just the fate of Mithlond but all Middle-earth, and so it becomes even more important that Mithlond is represented (and represented well). The fact that Galdor was chosen for this position suggests he is an even more valued elf than I had previously thought.

>   
> **  
>  5\. Ancient History   
> **   
> 

As I mentioned, Galdor is only mentioned a few times in _The Lord of the Rings_. In fact, the only other reference I've been able to find in all of Tolkien canon to an elf named Galdor is in  _The Book of Lost Tales_ , specifically in "The Fall of Gondolin." But this is a very early account of that event. The struggle is between Gnomes and Goblins, not Elves and Orcs; Finwë's folk are still the Noldoli, and Aredhel's son is Meglin. How can I be so sure that this Galdor is the same as Círdan's emissary? Could it not be Gildor Inglorion, or some other similarly-named elf, or a coincidence?

In point of fact, I can't rule any of these things out. I simply don't know enough about the history of Tolkien's writing to connect him with (or declare he doesn't connect with) the Galdor we meet in  _The Lord of the Rings_ ). So I looked to see if Tolkien ever gave his own opinion on this matter. And found it! (Thanks, [HASA Resources!](http://henneth-annun.net/resources/)) JRRT writes,

> "[Note 1] It may be noted that Galdor is another name of similar sort and period of origin, but he appears as a messenger from Círdan and is called Galdor of the Havens. Galdor also appeared in The Fall of Gondolin, but the name is of a more simple and usual form [than Glorfindel] and might be repeated. But unless he is said in The Fall of Gondolin to have been slain, he can reasonably be supposed to be the same person." (Notes, "Of Glorfindel, Círdan, and Other Matters," Last Writings, HoMe Vo. XII)

As Christopher Tolkien notes, his father most likely could not lay his hand on a copy of "The Fall of Gondolin," so when JRRT says "unless he is said [...] to have been slain," he is showing that he cannot remember what exactly happened to Galdor. (Any fanfic writer who has written long works over several years may be able to sympathize with this problem!) In my own search of "The Fall of Gondolin," I could not find any reference to Galdor's death, but this was my first time reading it and it is conceivable that I missed the reference.

However, Christopher Tolkien further observes on this point,

> [Re: Note 3] The view of Galdor expressed in this note and in note 1 seems hardly justified by the report of his contributions to the Council of Elrond; and if he were indeed Galdor of Gondolin he had long ages in which to acquire wisdom in the hard world of Middle-earth. But there is no reason to suppose that when my father wrote the chapter The Council of Elrond he associated Galdor of the Havens with Galdor of Gondolin. (Notes, "Of Glorfindel, Círdan, and Other Matters," Last Writings, HoMe Vo. XII)

It seems Christopher Tolkien has two primary reasons for doubting the idea that Galdor of Mithlond is the same character as Galdor of Gondolin. First, he thinks that Galdor of Mithlond does not have the wisdom one would expect of an elf who had been around since the First Age; and second, he doesn't think that JRR Tolkien consciously connected the two characters.

On the second point, notice that in Note 1 (qtd. above) Tolkien cannot remember whether Galdor survived the fall of Gondolin without rereading the manuscript. He doesn't seem to have a perfect memory for this text. And the fact that he can't remember whether Galdor of Gondolin lived or died doesn't change the fact that one of those two things had to happen. Similarly, just because Tolkien didn't perhaps connect the two characters in his conscious mind doesn't mean that we can't connect the two characters to provide a fuller backstory. As Tolkien himself noted, it's plausible that the two characters could be the same elf if Galdor survived the fall of Gondolin (as he seems to).

Christopher's first point is a bit harder to address because it relies on what we mean by wisdom, and whether we think Galdor had it. There are times where elves like Elrond and Glorfindel seem to know more about the history of the Ring and about Saruman than Galdor does. However, he does not simply deny that the Ring is Sauron's One Ring; instead, he asks for the reasons that convinced the Wise. Consider carefully how he asks for those reasons:

> The Wise may have good reason to believe that the halfling's trove is indeed the Great Ring of long debate, unlikely though that may seem to those who know less. But may we not have the proofs? ("The Council of Elrond,"  _The Lord of the Rings_ )

Galdor has been presented with an incredible claim, that even Gandalf took seventeen years to accept the truth of. But he doesn't deny it outright; he asks for the reasons the Wise depend on. This is an approach widely accepted in philosophy, to ask for someone's reasoning when you don't accept their point; I assume it is similarly acceptable in other academic areas. And as Galdor is essentially asking a question about Ring-lore, academic methodology should be allowed.

Notice, too, that while he admits he doesn't  _know_  much, his questions do suggest a certain amount of wisdom. He readily admits the areas where his knowledge is lacking, and he applies that knowledge well when someone educates him. That requires wisdom. Moreover, not every old man is wise. Many are racists and sexists, stuck in their way; some are ornery or grumpy. Longevity does not always make for wisdom. Even if Galdor was as foolish as Christopher Tolkien seems to think, that wouldn't prove that he hadn't lived since the First Age.

So what of Galdor of Gondolin? Let's assume for the moment that Christopher Tolkien is wrong, and that he can be seen as the same character as Galdor of Mithlond? What does this tell us?

We know he is strong, valiant:

> There too were the folk of the Pillar and of the Tower of Snow, and both these kindreds were marshalled by Penlod, tallest of Gnomes. There were those of the Tree, and they were a great house, and their raiment was green. They fought with iron-studded clubs or with slings, and their lord Galdor was held the most valiant of all the Gondothlim save Turgon alone. (The Fall of Gondolin, HoMe Vol. II)

He is also included in the king's councils:

> Then did King Turgon call a council, and thither fared Tuor and Meglin as royal princes; and Duilin came with Egalmoth and Penlod the tall, and Rog strode thither with Galdor of the Tree and golden Glorfindel and Ecthelion of the voice of music. (The Fall of Gondolin, HoMe Vol. II)

And he has proved his prowess in battle. He's not just _called_  the second most valiant man in Gondolin, but he proves it time and again. To cite one example,

> Then did Rog shout in a mighty voice, and all the people of the, Hammer of Wrath and the kindred of the Tree with Galdor the valiant leapt at the foe. There the blows of their great hammers and the dint of their clubs rang to the Encircling Mountains and the Orcs fell like leaves. (The Fall of Gondolin, HoMe Vol. II)

There are other passages like the above, recounting some brave deed or other of this Galdor. If this Galdor is the same as the Galdor who was sent to Imladris by Círdan, it is easy to see why Círdan thought he could travel through the Wild with the Nine Riders abroad. Galdor of Gondolin also knew how to handle himself at royal councils, which would have made him a fine emissary to carry out Círdan's errand. 

It's not completely clear whether JRR Tolkien considered these two Galdors to be the same character, but he at least thought it possible, and connecting the two considerably enriches our knowledge about the Galdor we meet at the Council of Elrond.

>   
> **  
>  6\. Conclusion   
> **   
> 

Galdor is an interesting character, albeit a minor one. On first reading, it seems that we know little about him, but Tolkien gives us several clues that allow us to make reasonable guesses about his role in the Ring War and about his character. By connecting him with another minor character from the  _Histories of Middle-earth_  drafts, we can develop a more thorough backstory for him, connecting him with other wars in Middle-earth's history and showing why he of all the elves of Mithlond would have been sent to Gondolin.

This investigation of Galdor's characters does more than tell us something about an elf from Mithlond. By carefully reading the text and making educated guesses where necessary, I was able to construct a richer backstory for this character than was obvious on my first read of the _Lord of the Rings_  passage. This same methodology can be applied to other characters, creating a much richer read than if we didn't try to probe beneath the surface of what JRRT wrote.

I don't claim that every observation or guess I have made is correct. As I have said repeatedly, I am not a master of elf-lore, and you are welcome to disagree with me at any point. Just back it up! That's what makes Middle-earth so much fun – there is room for many interpretations. Enjoy the ride. :-)


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